Chapter 198

Geniuses... were detestable.

Aeltimi understood that better than anyone—because she herself was one.

A powerful, overwhelming premonition surged through her mind.

This attack... will place me in grave danger.

Perhaps... it could even kill me?

Why?

She didn’t know what this boy was using to try and kill her—but she trusted her instincts.

Instinct often surpassed logic. Logic could only deduce the known... but instinct could grasp the unknown.

And she was far faster than him.

A hastily executed strike like this? She was certain she could evade it.

Trading her life for his?

Meaningless.

Even if Kanzaki Rei died—what would she gain?

A corpse she couldn’t retrieve? Kumironi, still out of reach?

Such a reckless exchange was the worst possible choice.

In a single instant, she made her decision.

She retreated.

A Fourth-Tier Origin Magic?

She had witnessed Eighth-Tier Origin Magic cast by true gods.

What could a mere Fourth Tier possibly do?

Naturally, she didn’t take it seriously.

—Shh!

Just as Rei’s "Core" was about to make contact—

Aeltimi vanished.

Rei’s attack struck empty air.

The Core shot forward into nothingness—

—and at that exact same instant—

The dagger pierced through Rei’s body from behind.

Dodging didn’t mean merely avoiding.

A seasoned fighter understood a simple truth:

The moment you evade is the best moment to counterattack.

"Breaking through mid-battle... you really are a genius~"

—Slash!

The dagger had already pierced through Rei’s heart.

This time, it was a true hit.

Not a mere brush of skin.

Not incidental contact.

A direct, precise stab—straight through the heart.

Aeltimi licked her lips.

The dagger twisted.

"Unfortunately~ I’ve seen plenty of geniuses in my time."

"And in the end?"

"They all became part of my collection... my skins~"

"You’re the most delightful one I’ve met so far."

"Don’t worry~ I’ll treat you very well."

Rei’s entire body unraveled into countless drifting strands—

completely disintegrating.

Aeltimi glanced toward the distant, radiant Core flying away.

So that was his Fourth-Tier Origin Magic.

How many Origin Mages had she encountered in her lifetime?

The last one who posed any threat had used Eighth-Tier magic.

Two thousand years ago.

Back when she abandoned her path to become a Level 9 Skin-Stealer... and chose ascension instead.

A pity she hadn’t killed that mage.

Another valuable skin lost.

She idly wondered—had that mage succeeded in reaching Level 9?

Aeltimi spun the flaying dagger in her hand and lowered it behind her back.

At the same time, she extended her other hand forward.

Rei’s scattered skin began drifting back toward her—

like strips of paper drawn by an unseen force.

It was time to deal with Kumironi.

This had already taken longer than expected.

If Izpalt arrived... things might become troublesome.

One day, she would peel that boy Izpalt’s skin as well.

But not now.

Not with this body.

This small continent of Relen...

truly hid dragons among mortals.

Aeltimi felt a flicker of something missing.

But seeing the skin in her hand—

He’s dead.

Even after ascending to godhood, that unknown Month-Bearer still affected her.

"Whatever. Once I obtain Kumironi... I’ll have a chance to contend for the Month Throne."

"May is vacant, after all."

She cupped her face, a feverish smile blooming.

"The Month of Shedding and Transformation... how perfect."

—Crack!

Suddenly—

A freezing chill erupted!

In an instant—

All things froze.

Even Aeltimi’s body—

halted.

A figure emerged within the absolute frost—

appearing above her head.

"Firmament Style — Sixth Form: Extreme • Barehand"

"Origin Magic: Core of the Absolute Whole"

Three radiant, rotating Cores spun in Rei’s hand—

and slammed down from above!

BOOM!

The ice shattered!

Aeltimi’s entire body—

was smashed like a frozen statue—

into countless fragments of crystalline frost!

「Death Timer: 10 years 1 month 1 day >> 0」

—Bang!

Almost instantly—

she reformed again within the freezing domain.

But this time—

the frost could no longer restrain her in the slightest.

Seeing Rei once more—

Aeltimi’s heart churned violently.

Why?

I killed him.

Could a god truly fail to determine whether someone was dead?

...No matter.

If he could live once—

she would kill him again.

As many times as needed.

Just as she raised her hand to strike—

—Shhh!

Her right arm—

suddenly began peeling away—

like ribbons drifting downward.

"...?"

Rei stood in the distance.

His eyes were dark—

like an abyss that swallowed death itself—

staring directly at her.

Aeltimi understood that gaze.

It was the gaze one reserved for the dead.

What kind of look is that?

You dare look at me like that?

She raised her left hand—

—Splurt!

It too shattered instantly.

Skin peeled away like fluttering streamers.

No...

Her divine authority—was gone?

Her skin—

was separating from her body?

No—

Tias.

Tias was dead?

How could that be?

As long as the skin remained—

Tias should not die.

And if Tias lived—

the skin could never detach.

This had been her perfect vessel.

"You’re finished."

Rei gripped the Phantom Ringstar Spear, his own skin still flaking apart—

like some grotesque entity.

Yet—

his posture remained steady.

His gaze never wavered.

"No...!"

"Kumironi..."

"I haven’t... obtained her yet..."

Aeltimi gritted her teeth, desperately trying to reclaim the drifting skin—

but it continued peeling away regardless.

As the outer layer fell—

another body was revealed beneath.

A black-haired girl—

eyes closed.

Unlike other Skin-Stealers, she had not shed a skin—

she had simply been worn.

Rei raised his hand.

A soul drifted free—

flying toward him.

He took it.

Tias’s soul.

Whether she had been an innocent victim—

or something else entirely—

Rei would not leave even the slightest chance for revival.

As the final fragments of skin drifted away—

Aeltimi’s expression became calm.

Cold.

Serious.

"Can you tell me... what your Origin Magic is?"

Rei said nothing.

Aeltimi sighed softly, almost plaintive.

"Seems I don’t even have that much charm, huh~"

"Child... I’ll remember you."

"And actually... I already know your name~"

"Lu Cang."

—Whoosh.

The last fragment of skin vanished.

Tias’s body lost all motion—

and fell into the endless abyss below.

Rei raised his hand.

Three radiant Cores formed once more.

"Origin Magic: Core of the Absolute Whole"

"My Whole."

This Core embodied his complete existence.

Body. Skin. Bones. Brain. Blood. Mana. Magic. Combat arts—

everything.

Even if his outer body was destroyed—

as long as the Core remained—

his existence remained.

The Core’s layers could be adjusted—

outermost layers triggering effects upon contact—

followed by deeper layers in sequence.

Three Cores rotated around him.

Three for offense.

One reserved for defense.

As long as one Core endured—

he could regenerate entirely.

It resembled...

an immortal, radiant inner elixir.

As for offense—

Rei lifted his hand.

—Whoosh!

The three Cores shot into Tias’s body.

BOOM!

A detonation equivalent to sacrificing 100 billion souls erupted!

Heaven and earth trembled once more!

Everything he was—

including Origin: All Laws and Origin: Body is Law—

manifested through the Core’s surface.

Total annihilation.

No chances left behind.

Not even ash remained.

Rei exhaled slowly.

His skin was still peeling.

The lingering effect hadn’t vanished.

Even with his regeneration—

it was unbearable.

He consumed several potions in succession.

Recovery accelerated.

Pain dulled.

For now...

that was enough.

As for Tias’s soul—

Rei paused briefly.

Then summoned an undead beside him.

Tias’s undead form manifested.

Level 6 Skin-Stealer.

He had considered inspecting her corpse—

but after everything involving Aeltimi...

he had no desire to touch anything related to her.

He placed a hand on the undead.

Information flooded into his mind.

Tias.

Moonsea — Twilight Archipelago — Mish Empire.

Headquarters of the Rose of Shedding.

"Moonsea..."

"Again."

So many enemies... all from that region.

He’d avoid it—

until he could crush everything there effortlessly.

Rei retrieved several storage pouches.

The All-Skin Pouch.

Exquisite craftsmanship.

Layered with numerous seals—

even Level 8 decryption difficulty.

As expected of a god.

He unlocked them—but didn’t erase them.

Instead, he retained the protections—

adding his own access.

Durable material—crafted from Level 8 monster hide.

Highly secure.

Inside—

vast space.

Even larger than the Frost Church’s container.

The aftermath faded.

The sky cleared.

Aeltimi... was gone.

Below—

Sel City no longer existed.

Within tens of thousands of kilometers—

only an endless abyss remained.

Rei stood in the sky—

as if at the center of nothingness.

"Oh... found it."

A red stone appeared in his hand.

「Inner Key」

A key to the Inner World.

He moved to the node—

pressed the stone into empty space—

and opened the passage.

After a brief pause—

he stepped inside.

What greeted him—

was a massive rift.

No—

not just a rift.

Looking ahead—

the sea.

Looking back—

the sea.

The continent had been split apart.

Then—

a familiar presence connected.

"Lu Cang!"

Luluwei.

She was alive.

Good.

—Boom!

A figure landed before him.

Green light followed.

"Kanzaki Rei?!"

Kumironi stared at his peeling form.

"What happened out there?"

Even as she asked—

her hand was already on him.

Gentle green light flowed.

His condition stabilized.

"Divine authority...?"

"...Yeah."

"I fought a god. Aeltimi."

"I almost lost."

"...Let’s leave."

They nodded.

Everyone gathered.

No one else was seriously hurt.

They exited.

Mountains—gone.

Rivers—gone.

Only emptiness remained.

"Rei..."

Kumironi’s pupils trembled.

He spoke calmly.

"Sel City was already taken over."

"Few innocents were involved."

...Not none.

But survival had already been a miracle.

He handed her the pouch.

She understood immediately.

"Did you encounter anything inside?"

She shook her head.

"Just a blood array. We destroyed it easily."

"They mentioned Aeltimi."

"They planned to trap us... then surround us from both sides."

"...They didn’t expect you to escape."

He nodded.

Under her healing—

his body recovered.

"Let’s go back."

...

The journey was silent.

Rei explained everything—

except the Death Timer.

They listened, shaken.

A god.

Divine authority.

A battle beyond mortals.

"If you hadn’t broken through..."

"...I’d be dead."

Kumironi clenched her teeth.

"Next time—run."

"That’s your principle, right?"

"...Yes."

"But I also have another."

"...Being human."

"I couldn’t leave you."

...

One day later—

they returned.

The world buzzed with rumors.

Blood mist.

Skinning day.

Red sky.

It had spread everywhere.

Rei...

had slain a god’s descent.

History would record it.

January 16, Year 5026 — The Crimson Descent. Kanzaki Rei slays a god.